Texans visit Jets

The once-promising Houston Texans are reeling with three straight losses as they battle the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon.
Bookmaker.com has the Jets as seven-point home favorites with a total of 45 ½-points. Houston is plus 250 to avoid its fourth consecutive defeat.
The Texans (4-5 straight-up, 3-6 against the spread) are finding new ways to lose each week. A 23-14 third quarter lead versus San Diego two weeks ago turned into a 29-23 loss after two Philip Rivers touchdown passes. Houston was inside the San Diego 30-yard-line with over a minute left, but receiver Andre Johnson let a ball go off his knee for an interception.
That crushing loss can’t even compare to last week at Jacksonville. Jaguars’ wide receiver Mike Thomas pulled down a 50-yard Hail Mary pass after Houston corner Glover Quin batted it right into his hands. Jacksonville won 31-24 as one-point favorites, avoiding overtime on that final play.
Houston is now 0-5 ATS in its last five games. This team has to be down emotionally and will need to quickly flip the switch.
Coach Gary Kubiak’s team has wasted a 2-0 start and is last in the AFC South behind Indianapolis (6-3), Tennessee (5-4) and Jacksonville (5-4). The Texans have never made the playoffs in franchise history (starting in 2002), with the first winning season (9-7) coming last year.
Kubiak did sign a contract extension through 2012 before the season, but his job is in jeopardy if the team doesn’t make the playoffs. The bad news is the schedule only gets harder with Baltimore, Philadelphia and Tennessee (twice) over the next month.
Houston’s offense is doing enough to win at 24.1 PPG, 10th in the league. Matt Schaub and the passing attack (ranked 11th) have seen their numbers dip, but that’s because Arian Foster and the running game (ranked seventh) are bringing balance.
The real problem has been the 31st ranked defense (409.7 YPG), dead-last against the pass (301.3 YPG). The Texans haven’t given up less than 24 points in any game this year (helping the ‘over’ go 6-3). Unless that starts to change, the playoffs will be just a dream.
The Jets (7-2 SU, 6-3 ATS) are sky-high emotionally after a 26-20 OT win in Cleveland. That was a fortunate cover as 3 ½-point ‘chalk.’ They’re the first team in NFL history to win back-to-back overtime road games after winning 23-20 in Detroit the week before.
New York seems very loose in these late-game situations. It comes partially from head coach Rex Ryan, a players coach and jokester to the nth degree, who was wearing a wig during a pre-game press conference last week.
Quarterback Mark Sanchez has shown increased maturity the last two weeks and it also helps to have a go-to receiver in Santonio Holmes. There has been some luck involved, but Super Bowl caliber teams win close games and the Jets are getting it done.
Sanchez should have success against the Houston secondary, but it’s never in the Jets’ game-plan to consistently air it out. They will be methodical on offense and move the ball by both running and passing.
Schaub has success throwing on almost everyone, but sacks allowed (21) have been a problem. That’s especially dangerous against a blitzing Jets defense. Foster will need to run successfully to take some pressure off.
New York is 2-2 SU and ATS at home. The two losses were 10-9 in the opener to Baltimore and 9-0 to Green Bay in the last home game on Oct. 31. The offensive breakdowns at home are puzzling, but can be corrected. The ‘over’ is 7-2 for New York this year, 2-2 at home and 5-0 away.
The Jets are 4-0 SU and ATS lifetime versus the Texans. The last game was a 24-7 road win last September. The ‘under’ is 4-0 with no combined score over 37 points.
Houston tight end Owen Daniels is questionable to miss his third straight game with a hamstring injury. Jets’ receiver Jerricho Cotchery is likely out with a groin.
Kickoff from New Meadowlands Stadium will be 10:00 a.m. (PT) on CBS. Weather should partly cloudy in the 40s.